June 5, 2004

GREAT BRIDGE'S MARTIN TAKES JOB AS ODU'S WRESTLING COACH

The most dominant high school coach in Hampton Roads is heading to college.

Steve Martin, who led Great Bridge High to 12 state wrestling titles in 13 seasons, was introduced Friday as the new head coach at Old Dominion.''I always wanted to see how I could do at the Division I level, but I didn't want to leave the area,'' Martin said. ''This is the only place I was going to go. Period.''

In hiring Martin, ODU gets not only a coach but also the cachet of being associated with Virginia's most influential and innovative wrestling family. Patriarch Billy Martin, inventor of the Granby Roll, led the Comets to 21 state titles in 22 years. Older brother Wayne led Great Bridge to three state titles.

Then the brash, energetic Steve Martin combined his family's teachings with University of Iowa-style intensity to turn the Wildcats into a national juggernaut.

''It's a process, but I have high standards,'' said Martin, whose Wildcats went 306-15-1 during his tenure. ''I didn't go into this blind. As long as you have the funding and the resources, you can get it done anywhere.''

The hiring of Martin is part of an ambitious agenda designed to jump-start the Monarchs' program. Other initiatives include the opening of a new wrestling complex at the ODU field house in 2005, increased scholarships, and higher salaries for assistants, athletic director Jim Jarrett said.

Martin's move also opens up a job at one of the nation's premier high school programs and could draw attention from several former Wildcats. Among them: Jesuit (La.) High coach Mark Strickland, University of Illinois assistant Carl Perry and Currituck (N.C.) High's David Hall.

Martin, 38, replaces Grey Simons, who retired as ODU's coach in March after 17 seasons. Simons led his teams to a combined 131-106-2 record and coached 28 NCAA tournament qualifiers. But the Monarchs are 10 years removed from their last conference championship.

''We've had some outstanding wrestlers here, and we've made it to the top 25 on occasion,'' Jarrett said. ''What we want now is to try to get there and stay there.''

It is the second time ODU has turned to a member of the Martin wrestling dynasty. Billy Martin Jr. was a Monarchs assistant for nine seasons and a head coach for one before resigning in 1987, citing personal reasons.

Steve Martin is not a complete novice to college coaching. The former Iowa All-American spent a year as a Hawkeyes graduate assistant in 1990-91. And hiring someone without significant college coaching experience is not unprecedented at ODU. Jarrett brought up Beth Anders, who was a college coaching rookie when she started at ODU in 1980 and has gone on to become the nation's winningest field hockey coach.

The extremely well-connected Martin said he has already targeted several potential recruits and identified possible assistants. And he has been heartened by the enthusiastic support he's received from the area wrestling community as word circulated that he was a candidate for the ODU job.

''I think everybody realizes this could be a gold mine,'' Martin said. ''Kids don't have to go to the Big Ten or the Big 12. They can stay right here at home.''